NINJAGO: Tournament Of Elements
by MagicWords22
Summary: After being kidnapped by an unknown villain, the ninja wake to discover that they must participate in an unusual tournament in order to survive. However nothing is as it seems. What happens to the losers? Who is the mysterious girl sneaking around in the tunnels? Why were they kidnapped in the first place? I will be submitting chapters slowly. Thank you for your patience!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Grief

"You never believe me!" cried the little red haired girl, slamming her bedroom door shut in fury. Her father, giving up, turned away from the pink door.

The little girl sat on her lush and lacy bed, surrounded by stuffed animals. Her face was puckered in a frown as she mulled over her problems like any little evil mastermind.

No one believed her. No matter how convincing she tried to be, no one believed her about the girl of light who played with her. No one believed that the girl existed! But the red head knew better. She'd seen this girl, and only a fraction of her light power. If this other girl hadn't even unlocked her true potential yet - her powers might just be unfathomable.

And the red head had the powers to take it. Amber was her power - the power to steal.

Just then, a bright light flashed, and a dark haired girl with mystical eyes stood before the pouter.

"Why couldn't you do that when my dad was here?!" demanded the red head.

"Because," said the mysterious child with a devious grin, "I'm a secret - just for you."

"But no one believes me!"

"You aren't supposed to tell anyone about me!" said the girl. "I'm a secret!"

"A secret with a dumb rule," muttered the pouter.

The dark haired child stuck out her tongue. "No stealing. It's hardly something that needs to be said."

"But your powers - "

"Are mine," said the other territorially. "No stealing."

The red head squinted at the girl. The girl was nice, but not willing to let her powers be taken. Was her friendship worth holding her own desires in check?

Nope.

The red head lunged. She was quick, but not quick enough. The light girl vanished, then re-appeared in the sun rays by the window. Her eyes flashed with fury. "You promised!" she spat.

"Well, maybe I am done with promises!" shouted the red head. She lunged again, and the other girl vanished.

Silence reigned in the room. The offender stopped, and listened. The girl hadn't come back.

"Hello?"

There was no answer. And there never would be.

Lloyd knelt on the ground, feeling like he had buried his heart. His friends, the ninja, stood beside him in the chilly fall air, dressed in mourning clothes. Even though the sun shone, the light was pale, and the trees had lost their bright colored leaves in preparation for winter.

They were a silent group, staring at the two tombstones. It was hard to believe that the markers were there to mark the graves of Sensei Wu and Lord Garmadon.

Wu had been struggling for a while, and had been quite elderly for a long time. Lord Garmadon had never really recovered from the strain that the Overlord had put on his physical and mental health. Both had passed quietly and without pain, maintaining their honor. But loss is loss, and the ninja were silently bearing it.

Finally, Lloyd stood.

"We saved my father," he said, voice cracking from tears. "But then we lost him again." Everyone waited for him to finish his thought.

"I won't let the time be wasted any longer," he said. "My mom is still here. I am going to spend as much time with her as I can." He looked at them with his green eyes, begging them to understand.

"And that means you want to go to her now," said Zane gently.

Lloyd nodded.

"Go ahead," said Kai in a low voice. "We'll miss you."

It didn't feel right, but this was Lloyd's choice. Lloyd turned and walked away. When he was out of earshot, Jay gave a hefty sigh.

"Now what?"

"We are all grieving," said Zane. "Grieving takes a toll on out energy reserves. Perhaps we should all go get something to eat."

Cole told everyone about a new restaurant called Master Chen's Noodle House. The guys were all for it, but Nya politely declined. "I've cried my my appetite away," she said. "I'm gonna go build something." Jay gave her a squeeze. "Text me," he said. Nya smiled tearfully at him, then walked towards a taxi.

Master Chen's Noodle House wasn't expensive, but the food wasn't that great either. Kai hated the noodles.

"They're too slimy!"

"Just eat it," said Jay. "You spent $20 bucks on it!"

"I didn't know they would be slimy!" protested Kai.

"Stop bickering!" snapped Cole. "We've done enough of that in our lifetimes."

Jay and Kai grew quiet. They realized that Cole's mind was still in the cemetery.

Everything in life seemed to have been interrupted by Sensei's death. Cole had been starting his music career, Zane and Jay had been working for a technological genius called Cyrus Borg, and Kai and Nya had reopened For Weapons. But when Sensei died last Friday…

Everything seemed to spin out of control.

"We're all alone now," said Cole softly, despair dripping from his voice.

"Uh, no," said Jay. "Nya is just at work, and Lloyd will be coming back soon."

"No Jay," said Kai, exasperated. "He means that now we are Sensei-less."

"Wow, you got that from the two words he said?" asked Jay, reaching for a fortune cookie.

"Actually, it was four," said Zane.

"Look, guys," said Kai, seeing this was getting out of hand. "Just because our Sensei isn't with us anymore, doesn't mean we can't still be ninja."

There was a silence that followed that Zane didn't understand. No one said anything, but he could tell that they - even Kai - only half believed it.

But there wasn't time to think about it.

Kai suddenly moaned and began shaking. Jay choked on the air he was breathing and began gasping for air. Cole started. "What's going on with you guys?! Jay, Kai - snap out of it!"

Zane scanned them with his DoctorScanner program.

"Help…me…" Jay rasped, clawing the air. Zane assessed the problem quickly when suddenly his vision began to waver. His heart skipped a beat as a warning rang in his ears:

 _Unauthorized shut down in 10…9…8…_

Zane had to think fast. Something was putting him to sleep. "Cole," he said, but stopped. The Master of Earth was snoring with his head laying on the table, out cold.

 _7…6…5…_ A thud caused Zane to look at Jay quickly, only to find that he too had collapsed onto the table, unconscious.

"Zane," groaned Kai, eyes wide with fear. "What…what's wrong with me?!"

 _4…3…2…1…_

Zane tried to keep his eyes open, but they slid closed. "We've bijthgisn drugugugugugeddddd…." he whirred. Darkness enveloped them all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Kidnapped

She laughed. There was no way they could chase her down here. She knew every hiding place and trap. She knew every turn and false way. They didn't understand these dark, dusty tunnels like she did.

Sure, they could try. They were trying right now, in fact.

She bolted around the corner and slid, skillfully using the loose dirt to skid and make the turn in a whirl. She shoved off of another wall and spotted the escape she was looking for. An air duct, high above her head, was waiting for her, the small door hanging open - just like she'd left it. With a grunt, she leapt.

The pursuers behind her missed it. She flew through the air, silently caught onto the aluminum edge, pulled herself into it, and latched it shut behind her without so much as a rustle.

The Ghost had struck again.

Sneaking around in the ventilation system was dangerous, but she didn't mind. Her life had become dangerous, just eight years ago.

 _Eight years ago._

Old heart wounds and memories flooded her. She had hoped she would have forgotten the pain and the scars, but things like that just didn't heal. She sat, her back against the duct wall, silent sobs wracking her body. _Calm down, calm down,_ she thought. _You can't cry. You need to survive, and crying makes you weak. Snap out of it! Are you listening for danger? Are you sniffing out enemies? Get a grip! This is your life now!_

She took a deep breath. Control. _I don't have time for this._

Life had given her the short end of everything. Now, it had given her the ability to strike fear into her enemies and scare them to death - quite literally.

"Hey Clouse," said a faint voice. "Where do ya want these ninja?"

In a room above her, she could hear at least four guards (she counted grumbles), and Clouse. Her jaw set when she heard his nasty voice.

"Take them to rooms 182, 183, 184, and 185. Hm. How much did you give the red one?"

"A pint," muttered the foolish guard.

 _"YOU NITWITS!"_ screamed Clouse. _"YOU ARE ALL LUCKY HE DIDN'T EAT IT ALL -_ _HE WOULD BE DEAD!"_

This was followed by a smack, and a plea for mercy.

She climbed up the air duct silently, looking for a vent to see what was going on. _Ninja? What ninja?_ she wondered. She found a vent right above Clouse and the guards and saw the scene below with a bird's eye view.

Four guards and Clouse stood over four young men, who were laying on the floor as if asleep. She suddenly realized that they were drugged; that was what Clouse meant by 'how much did you give him'. And then she realized their purpose.

Chen had kidnapped new fighters. Ninja had never been in a tournament before. She looked at the unconscious souls with pity. They had no idea what they were about to experience. Chen's lies, Clouse's cruelty, and Skylor - she was the cruelest of them all.

A small flicker of hope arose in her chest. _Maybe I can help them._

 _No. I haven't talked to anyone in years! How can I start now? I'll look like a fool. How do I know I CAN talk still? I'll sound ridiculous. But how will I ever get out without help? Maybe they would help me, and we could escape together._

 _Could they be trusted?_

 _But what could I do? I'm a runner - not a fighter. I have run from things my whole life. What use am I?_

One of the ninja laying on the floor moved with a groan. "Water…"

She froze. _It can't be._

"Take them to their rooms!" screeched Clouse. "The drugs are wearing off!"

The guards heaved and dragged the groggy ninja away. As they did, something slid out of a ninja's pocket. But they were in too much of a hurry to stop and look at it. As the guards dragged the ninja out of the room, Clouse followed quickly and slammed the door.

She listened. Everything was quiet.

Silent as a cat, she opened the vent and slid into the room with a soft thump. Moving quickly, she snatched the object and disappeared again into the vent.

It was a picture. She turned it over in her hands, feeling the smooth surface. She stilled, breath catching in her chest. There she was.

It was a picture of her.

Cole rubbed his head. The drugs were wearing off with sleep, but sleep wouldn't come anymore. He'd tried and tried and tossed and turned, but now he decided to explore his prison.

It was a large, ornate room. Quite expensive. In fact, it looked as though it had been decorated for the Master of Earth. Earthy colors and drapes set the tone in the room to a fresh, yet dark vibe. The window was closed, but he could tell it was late because the sun was setting.

He couldn't complain - it was a very comfortable prison. But that was just it - he had tried the door, but it was locked with a special kind of lock; one that seemed to cancel out his super strength and earth powers.

It was a prison, meant only to imprison _him_.

He sighed and looked at the side table. The note still sat there, mocking his helplessness. He glared at the extravagant, and lovely writing, and turned away from it. But the words still rang in his ears.

 _"Hello! Welcome to my Tournament of Elements. I hope you like Noodles. - Master Chen_

"Tournament?" He said aloud. What did it all mean?

 _Riiiiing!_

His cellphone! He didn't even check who it was - he grabbed it and answered, hoping to hear a friend. "Hello?"

"Listen carefully," said a sneering voice on the other end. Cole's eyes widened as he heard a slap, and the sound of someone moan softly.

"You have to do better than that, ninja," snarled the voice. "Do I need to cut you so he can recognize your squeal?"

"Hey!" barked Cole, furious. "Leave 'em alone!"

"And how will you make me?" chuckled the voice. "You are powerless."

"Cole!" cried a Kai's voice. "Don't listen to him! He just wants to control you!"

 _THWACK!_ Cole cringed as he heard Kai's body fall to the floor. To his horror, he realized that the sound didn't just come from his phone, but from the room next to his. "STOP!" he shouted, throwing himself against the wall. "I SWEAR BY MY BUSHY EYEBROWS THAT IF YOU HURT HIM I WILL KILL YOU!" The wall was too strong - he couldn't break through.

"Ha! The chained one making threats? Child, you are the one looking down the barrel of _my_ gun. You are not in a position to threaten me," said the voice. Cole hated it.

"Then what will make you stop?" demanded Cole, fearing for Kai's life. _Hold on brother…I'll take care of this, just don't -_

"Stop Cole!" cried Kai's muffled voice. "Don't reason with this snake—"

 _THWACK THWACK!_

 _"STOP!"_ screamed Cole as he heard them beating up Kai. "I'll listen I'll listen just STOP!"

The noise ceased. Silence hung in the air, and finally the voice spoke.

"Good."

Cole heard the sound of the phone being dropped on the floor, feet shuffling, and then the sound in the hall of people moving around. The door slammed shut, and he heard the wheezing breathing of Kai.

"Kai! Kai, can you hear me?"

Silence.

"Kai," begged Cole. "Please talk to me. Please; are you okay?!"

No answer.

 _click!_ Cole held his breath as he heard soft footfalls on hard wood, and someone shoved the phone away. He was just about to speak when he heard:

"Oh. Oh, you poor guy."

Cole felt chills up his spine. _Mom?!_

Kai's breathing sounded like his lungs were screaming. The mysterious person was moving around, doing things. Cole noticed that Kai's breathing became less labored and painful sounding. _She…she's helping him!_

"There you go," murmured the voice. _She_ _sounds just like Mom,_ Cole thought. But that was impossible. Mom was gone. She'd died over ten years ago. But then he heard something that made him nearly cry.

The girl began to sing. Not just any song - and not just any tune. This song opened the door to all of Cole's memories of being a child, and hearing his mother's soft, low voice singing this very same song.

 _I've got my arms around you_

 _Your fears, I caught them all_

 _Rest in peace, let dreaming come_

 _as into sleep, you fall._

Who on earth was she? Cole opened his mouth to speak - maybe she would talk to him - but the phone suddenly beeped at him. " _Warning: battery on one percennnnnnn…_ " and then the it died. There was a pop, and a Cole's phone said, "Your call has been disconnected. Please try again later."

Cole threw his phone on the bed in disgust. He wished with all his might that he could break out and see who was caring for Kai. But all he could do was stand there, alone in the silence of is captivity.

"…and don't forget me, in this goodbye - for I gave you a lullaby."

Click.

Kai slowly woke. He was stiff and sore, and his eye felt hot. His vision cleared a little as he opened one eye, then felt the hot one. It wouldn't open because there was ice strapped to it. And on to his back.

Kai was lying on his stomach, stretched out on the hardwood floor. To his surprise, his face felt clean, even though the evidence of his bloody nose was stained on his shirt. Some kind person had even put pillows around him on the floor. They cushioned his chest and arms, and he realized that this person must not have been strong enough to put him on the bed, so they had made a bed for him on the floor.

He noticed his phone on the floor. _Cole!_ He thought. _He needs to know I'm okay!_ He reached for the phone, gasped in pain, and snatched it before his arm could give up on him. He pushed the center button.

Nothing. There was no power left - his phone was dead.

Kai's heart sank. Cole probably had no idea that he was okay.

The words of a song ran through his head, whispering of a foggy memory. Suddenly Kai wondered where the ice and the pillows had come from. Surely Clouse and those buffoons hadn't given him these things, or even sung him a lullaby.

Kai looked around. There wasn't a soul in the room.

"I've been visited by an angel!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I wasn't able to respond right away to some of the reviews and I wanted to say YES I used to be on DeviantArt, and I published some of my stuff there as well. Please give reviews - I'd love to hear more on what you guys think about this story!**

Chapter 3: Together Again

Nighttime came. Cole's dismal thoughts were interrupted by the door bursting open. He leapt to his feet and saw four guards. He stood there, ready to battle.

"Time for supper," growled one.

Cole straightened. "Don't you just bring it to me?" he asked.

"Everyone eats in the Dining Hall," hissed a different guard. Cole sighed and prepared to be escorted when the guards clamped heavy shackles onto his wrists. "Hey!" he yelled, struggling. But these chains seemed to weaken him - his super strength was gone again.

"Do you want your friends to die?" asked one.

Cole glared at him. "Then chain my ankles too!" he roared. "Or else I will kick your butt so hard it'll go through your skull!"

They quickly chained his feet. Leading him like a prisoner of war, they stood tall and held their spears high.

Cole was taken down the long empty hallway in into a huge dining room. It was filled with people - which was something he hadn't expected. Not only that, but they saw him chained, and did nothing.

"No friends here," he growled under his breath.

Each person looked radically different than the other. It reminded Cole of the time a bunch of different rock bands stayed with his dad for a competition: every single one had a different look. They each represented something about themselves that was unique - from purple hair to lederhosen.

This crowd wasn't all that different. Cole saw a guy with a turban and epic mustache, and then a guy who was obviously a fan of the 80s. Then a girl who was completely green walked past, giving him a toxic glare.

"Sit here," grunted one of the guards, shoving him towards an empty table. "We will get your fellow prisoners."

Cole sat, not touching the food placed before him. He would think twice for a long time about food that was offered to him. He declined water too, even though he was parched. Finally, the guards brought in Zane.

The nindroid looked fine. He was alert and calm as usual, which seemed to settle Cole's own nerves.

"Cole! Are you alright?" he exclaimed, rushing over and scanning him. "I detect no injuries," he said, not waiting for an answer. "It is good to see you."

"Nothing hurt, save for my pride," said Cole, holding up his shackles. Zane smiled and held up his own. "They seem to be taking every precaution," he said. "Let me scan the food, and see if it is edible."

It was. They tore into it ravenously. Just as Cole finished his meal, and Zane politely poured them more water, Jay was escorted into the dining hall. They heard him before they saw him.

" _I WANT MY MONEY BACK!_ " he was shrieking. " _THIRTY DOLLARS WASTED ON DRUGGED NOODLES? I DEMAND JUSTICE!_ "

"Hi Jay," said Cole as Jay sat down.

"Guys!" gasped Jay excitedly. "Is it working? And is that mac 'n cheese?"

"Is what working? And yes it is."

"Me looking stupid! And please pass the MNC! Ah, the memories mac 'n cheese bring."

Cole grinned. "Oh yes, you looked VERY stupid. Tell me - are you trying to look stupid?"

"YES!" said Jay enthusiastically. "They leave the stupid ones unguarded at night. Or so I think."

"I don't think that your logic is sound," said Zane. "Your theory has many flaws."

They were interrupted by Kai's appearance. Everyone had parted for the guards as they half dragged, half carried the red ninja into the dining hall. All three ninja leapt to their feet with cries of fury and concern. Kai was hobbling along slowly and painfully, shackled hands pressed against his chest in pain. His hair was matted and messier than usual, and his left eye was almost swollen shut.

The guards roughly pulled him along, and just as Cole got up to give them a piece of his mind, Kai stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Get up!" snarled a guard, kicking him. Kai cried out in pain, and that was all it took.

Cole was in their faces, Jay was using himself as a human shield to protect Kai from anymore blows, and Zane was lifting Kai gently to his feet. Everyone stared as Cole seemed to suddenly grow six inches taller.

The guards gulped as they looked at Cole's stone cold face. He hadn't struck them, but his biceps bulged with readying strength. "Get out of here," he snarled, voice rumbling in his chest like thunder,"and leave my friend alone."

Silence reigned in the hall. It felt like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for either the guards to run him through with their spears, or for Cole to beat them within an inch of their lives.

Neither happened. The guards slowly backed away, then turned and marched out of the dining hall.

Cole returned to the table. Zane and Jay were trying to make Kai comfortable, but he winced every time he moved. "Dude," said Cole, kneeling so he could look into his friend's face. "Are you alright?"

Kai nodded, then coughed.

"But he won't be if we tarry," said Zane. "He has a broken rib that needs setting. Unless we get a chest brace, he may get an infection that could kill him."

"And where do we get that?" exclaimed Jay. "It's not like we can just be like, 'hey kidnappers, why don't you fix what you broke?'!"

Suddenly a short man with greying hair and impressive eyebrows walked past and slid a blue notebook onto the table. Without even looking at them, he walked past, disappearing into the crowd.

Jay grabbed it. "Oh my gosh," he gasped. "This has information on everyone on this place!"

"What? Let me see," demanded Cole, grabbing part of the notebook.

"Careful - don't break it," said Zane.

"Holy cannoli! Zap trap is right!" said Cole. "And that's not all - this dude actually tells us what we are doing here!"

Zane raised his eyebrows. "Do tell," he said.

"' _Dear soul,_ " read Jay. " _If you are reading this, know that I am an honest man. My name is Nuero - Master of the Mind. I can read thoughts, and if you are just desperate for answers to your personal questions, then go to the last page - I studied you before I gave you this, and read your minds. Your questions are answered on the last page of this notebook._

 _"You are here because you have elemental powers. You are here because Chen noticed you, and wants something new in his tournament. You will be fighting other elementals for a prize that will be revealed later._

 _"Chen is sneaky. I have never been able to read his mind or stop him in the past. He is not to be trusted._

 _"Don't trust Clouse. My guess is you have already encountered one or both of these two, and you need to be careful. They are the most vile men I have ever met, but they pay both the winner and loser, and so I participate in the tournament._

 _"And lucky for you I have. Enclosed in this notebook are the strategies, powers, and weaknesses of the other fighters. Do your best, and may you fare well. Sincerely, Nuero: Master of the Mind."_

"Flip to the back page," said Zane. "Let us see if he did indeed study us."

Jay obediently flipped the yellowed pages to the last one. "Hey - look at this!"

On the last page of the notebook, a long list of answers and a map had been written in with new ink. The map's title said "Chen's Island", and marked all of the jungle trails.

"We aren't in Ninjago anymore!" gasped Cole. "And Master Chen has his own island?"

"I sense there is a lot that we don't know about Chen," said Zane, messaging Kai's stiff arms. Kai winced and said, "What answers are there?"

Jay began reading them off. "One: Don't trust anyone. Two: Don't touch anyone - their powers may only work through touch, and you can't be too careful. Three: Your prison's are three stories high and impossible to escape from without help. Four - "

"Attention, competitors!" cried a voice over a loudspeaker. Everyone stopped talking and listened. "A tournament will be scheduled for tomorrow night; if you hear your name, then you will meet with us after dinner. And as for you, ninja" - here the ninja stiffened -"you won't be in the tournaments for three days, due to Kai Tefuto's…injuries." The voice then rattled off a bunch of names that the ninja didn't know, and then signed off.

People went back to talking. Kai opened his mouth to say something when a red haired girl approached them. "Oh, you must be Kai Tefuto," she said, large green eyes wide with sympathy. "You poor thing - what happened?"

She reached out to lay her hand on his shoulder. Jay slapped her hand with his chain. "No!" he barked, glaring at her. "No touching!"

"Ow!" she yelped, then stared at Jay, furious. "That hurt!"

"Go cry about it somewhere else!" snapped Cole.

"Wow," said the girl, glaring. "You guys are jerks! I'm just trying to be nice to your friend!"

"We don't trust thieves, Skylor!" hissed Jay, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I know exactly what you were trying to do!"

Her eyes grew wide, and she walked quickly away.

"How did you know her name?" asked Cole, surprised. "And why did you call her a thief?"

"She's listed as our number one threat in the notebook," said Jay. "She has the power to absorb someone else's power, at their level of achievement. She would have had all of Kai's unlocked powers had she touched his shoulder."

"Wow," said Cole. "Maybe you should keep this notebook - you seem to know more than we do just from skimming it."

"That was very quick thinking," commented Zane. "Good job, Jay."

Jay swelled with pride. "No problem," he said.

"Hey guys," murmured Kai, wincing, "what does an angel look like?"

They looked at him, surprised. "What?" asked Jay, wondering if he had heard right.

"Angels," said Kai. "What do they look like?"

"I've never seen one," said Cole slowly, looking concerned. What was Kai saying? Had he died and gone to heaven, and then returned?

"One took care of me, after they beat me up," said Kai weakly. "And I really want to know what she looks like."

The routine started. Every morning the ninja were allowed to shower and have breakfast alone. Then, five boring hours later, they would have lunch with the competition.

On the third day (the last one before they would enter the tournament), Kai talked more about his angel. "She came again!" he said, a new light in his eyes. "This time she left me fresh ice."

"Did you see her this time?" asked Cole.

"No," said Kai. "I always wake up when she leaves."

"I suspect this angel has no wings, but simply a kind heart," said Cole with a grin. "Leave your window open; your room is right next to mine, so I'll sneak in and see if I can't catch your angel."

"Just don't hurt her," said Kai, looking uncomfortable.

"I won't!" said Cole.

"And be careful," said Zane. "Remember what the notebook said - our rooms are approximately forty feet off the ground. One wrong move could be your last."

"I won't fall," said Cole. "I'm a ninja - I'll roll."

"Guys!" cried Jay, running back to their table. "I just saw the schedule for tomorrow - Cole, you will enter first!"

"Good," said Cole, pounding his fist on the table. "Let's get it over with!"

"Why are you so distressed, Jay?" asked Zane.

"He's fighting SKYLOR!" gasped out Jay, nearly hysterical.

"Ooh," said Kai. "That's…unfortunate."

"Aw well," said Cole, shrugging. "That just makes it interesting."

"You're gonna eat those words," said Jay.

Cole teetered on the edge. The window was wide, but a breeze was blowing and toying with his balance. The moon was full, and a soft, peaceful light shone on Kai's window.

Cole slipped in, silent. The room was dark except for the spots where moonlight came through the windows.

Click!

Cole heard it before he could locate what was making the sound. It was the vent! He pulled on his mask and slipped into the shadows of the room.

A slim figure slipped into the room, and Cole thought he recognized the soft thud of the footfalls to those he'd heard on the phone. The mysterious person was barefoot, he realized. They walked slowly into the moonlight, and stopped by the side table. It was a girl! She was looking at something on the surface of the side table, and Cole nearly jumped when she softly spoke.

"Who…who ar…are yo…you. Who are you."

Kai must have left a note. Cole felt chills again, hearing what sounded like his mother's voice for a second time. But Mom had always been able to read perfectly. This person had needed to sound out the letters in order to read a simple sentence.

The girl reached into her small bag, and pulled out a piece of paper, and laid it next to the note. Without making a sound, she set a bag of ice on the bed, next to Kai's sleeping form. And slowly, as if reluctant to leave, she turned, revealing her dark features in the pure moonlight.

Cole nearly fell over.

He knew who she was.

Exactly who she was.

Those eyes. The soft, thick hair. Her delicate hands. That nose that came directly from their mother.

"Dessie," he cried out, "Dessie, it's you! It's really you!"

She jumped, eyes wide, seeing him now. She stared in shock, then choked and vanished like a phantom. Cole gasped in inner pain - not again!

"NO! Come back!" he cried. "Dessie, Dessie no! Don't leave me again! Dessie!"

Kai bolted up out of bed, lighting his hand up in a makeshift torch. "Wha…what's wrong?!" he gasped. "What's going on?!"

Cole didn't answer him. He was staring at the side table. Laying next to the note Kai had left for her, Dessie had laid a picture. In the firelight Kai could make out a pretty girl's school picture. She looked about eleven or twelve, with a sad, worn smile.

Cole stared at it, large tears streaming down his cheeks. He'd had more than just a picture for almost five seconds. And then she'd disappeared.

"Cole, dude, what's the matter? I don't think I have ever seen you cry before," said Kai.

Cole slowly looked up at him. "I am so jealous of you," he said, voice cracking with tears. "I haven't been this close to her in eight years. And here she sang to you, and visited you."

"Who is she?" asked Kai.

"My baby sister," said Cole. "My missing baby sister."

She sat there, head buried in her arms.

He loved her. He missed her. And he was here.

But there had been so many traps. So many attempts to get her. What if - ?

She threw her bag against the wall and let out a roar of frustration. She was so tired of this fear. Fear of being caught, and yet fear of not escaping. She had cautiously helped, and watched. She'd taken care of the red one, but now things were even more personal. And now, there was so much more to risk.

Was that tall, strong, stealthy ninja really her brother? Or was this another trick? But if that young man up there was really Cole…she couldn't just hide and leave it be!

She made up her mind. She would find out, without fear, if that was Cole. She would help. And she would live to tell about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: To the Tournament

At breakfast the next day, the ninja were allowed to eat together. Zane, Kai, and Jay all waited as Cole took a swig of juice, and then began his long story.

"There's…something I've never told you guys," he said, looking down at his lap.

"That never starts a good story," said Jay, wincing.

Cole sighed. "It's about my sister."

"WHAT?!" cried Jay and Zane. Kai already knew this was about Cole's sister, but he had been able to freak out last night.

"SISTER?!" screeched Jay. "SISTER?! MY FLIPPIN' BRAIN JUST EXPLODED!"

"Tell us," said Zane. "Why haven't you ever told us about her, and why are you telling us now?"

"She disappeared just a few years before Sensei brought us together," said Cole. "It was too painful to tell strangers about."

Jay had utter sad-shock on his face. "We aren't strangers now!" he protested. "Why didn't you tell us like, after the Great Devourer, or after the Final Battle? I mean, you coulda been like 'we are about to die - I have a sister who is missing - just FWI - lets go die now!'"

"Sorry," said Cole. Silence hung for a moment, and then Zane said, "Tell us what happened."

Cole sighed, then started the long, sad tale.

"We grew up; a complete family. We were all there - me, Mom, Dad, and Destiny. Everything was perfect - Dad was a performer, and Mom stayed home with us. Everything was perfect until I was about twelve years old." He paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "My mom died."

Jay hung his head in sadness, trying to understand such a deep loss. Kai's eyes started to brim with tears, remembering his own loss when his mother died. Zane just sat, listening.

"Me and my broken family tried really hard to make it," said Cole. "My dad lost himself in song, Dessie tried to keep everything together like Mom always had, and I tried to face the new challenge of bullies in the school yard." He sat back in his chair, thoughtful, lost in the memories that his narration was bringing back. "We were doing ok. Things started getting tougher, but we were tough. Dad was trying to be there for both of us, I know, and I tried to stay out of trouble."

"You are trouble," grumbled Jay.

"But then one day," Cole continued, ignoring Jay like always, "Dessie didn't come home from school. When it got dark, we panicked. Our neighbors and friends all looked - we searched everywhere. She'd vanished."

"Until last night," said Zane.

Cole gave a small smile. Zane could connect the dots like no one else.

"YOU MEAN SHE'S HERE?!" Jay nearly screamed, knocking his chair over in happiness. "Yes! A happy ending!"

"I have to find her," said Cole, leaning forward with a hard determination in his eyes. "Then we escape."

"Of course!" said Zane.

"Duh!" said Kai.

"I'M SO EXCITED!" cried Jay. "OH, THIS IS SO WONDERFUL!"

Suddenly, a guard burst in on their happy moment. "Hey, Master of Earth," he sneered, "time to enter the tournament!"

()

" **COLE! DON'T LET HER TOUCH YOU!"**

Jay was screaming advice ten minutes before the tournament even started. Kai turned to him, annoyed.

"Number 1: He can't hear you. Number 2: IT WON'T EVEN START FOR TEN MINUTES! So please stop!"

Jay stuck out his tongue. "You're just jealous because Cole gets to fight a little girl, and you have to fight Tree-beard over there!"

"SEXIST!" roared a girl behind them, kicking Jay in the head.

"OW!" cried Jay. "I just meant -"

"THAT little girl is Skylor - an undefeated warrior from Chen's own house!" sneered the girl. Her green eyes flashed. "She's his daughter!"

"I think you just got some juicy information by being a dork," said Kai, amused. "Keep it up."

"There they are!" said Zane, pointing.

"Ha!" said Jay, smirking at Kai. "I was yelling right on time!"

Cole and Skylor stepped into the arena. Everyone cheered. "The goal is to find the pot with the noodles first," said Zane.

"Pfft!" said Jay. "Cole can totally do this - he always finds the food I hide at home."

Cole and Skylor faced one another. "May the best warrior win," said Cole.

"I'll win, don't worry," Skylor taunted, her green eyes narrowed, and she tossed her red hair over her shoulder.

"Get ready," came Clouse's voice over the PA system.

Cole and Skylor faced the sea of pots before them. Cole inhaled slowly, alert for the smell of garlic and cloves on the air. Skylor dug her heel into the soft dirt, and they both braced themselves for the signal to go.

"Set…" Clouse said, and the adrenaline rushed like a waterfall down Cole's veins. The audience held it's breath, trying to watch both fighters, sizing them up, and predicting the outcome.

The bell rang.

Like twin bullets, Cole and Skylor sprinted towards the brown pots. Cole pushed ahead, sweat already moistening his back. He was running, breathing - a ninja with a mission and purpose in mind. _Find the pot. Find the pot._

And then Skylor struck.

Kai, Jay, and Zane gasped as she leapt, flipped, and delivered a sickening blow to the back of Cole's neck. The Ninja of earth gave a cry of pain and surprise, toppling to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Skylor rolled past him, then rushed at a pot.

CRASH!

Ding!

"We have a winner!" came Chen's voice.

The crowd leapt to their feet and roared in delight. Zane, Kai, and Jay stared in dumfounded silence at Skylor's laughing face, and the bowl of noodles she held in her hand.

Cole pushed himself up, rubbing his neck and staring at Skylor, stunned. She turned and grinned at him. "Thanks for the earth powers!" she said.

"Aw, and we have a loser!" Chen's voice taunted from the loudspeaker.

Cole stood up, still focused on Skylor. His face grew bright red with rage. "You little - AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The crowd gasped. Kai, Zane, and Jay leapt to their feet with cries of horror. A trap door had opened underneath Cole, and he disappeared.

()

After the tournament, dinner was served. Zane, Kai, and Jay sat at a table far away from the other competitors, whispering in hushed tones.

"What the heck just happened," hissed Jay.

"I do not know," said Zane. "I wish Nuero was here to tell us. The way the crowd reacted, I don't think that the loser falling through a trap door is a common occurrence."

"It isn't," said a voice. They looked up in surprise to see Nuero, Master of the Mind, standing beside them. He sat down, then gave Zane a chest brace. "This is for your friend," he said, and Zane quickly began to put it on Kai.

Jay opened his mouth.

"Shut up," said Nuero. "I know what you are thinking and have NO TIME for interruptions. Here is what I know: Skylor cheated."

The ninja gasped, but Nuero continued. "I read her mind during the tournament," he said. "She knew exactly where the noodles were, and exactly where the trap door was. She timed it perfectly - the kicking him, leaping over him, grabbing the noodles - she is very skilled. Much like a viper."

He narrowed his eyes at them. "Don't even let her come near you."

"But where is Cole?!" asked Zane.

"Below us," said Nuero. He paused, his face dreadfully grim. "I read Skylor's mind even deeper when I realized that she was cheating. Chen is doing something very evil." He took a breath.

"Chen has masterfully planned all of this - the tournaments, the kidnapping, everything - to steal elemental powers. And what better way to have them but through your very own daughter?"

"So treat Skylor like the black plague," said Jay.

"Yes, though I don't think that's the only way Chen is taking the elemental powers," admitted Nuero. "I'm not sure, but when I tried to go deeper into Skylor's mind, I got the feeling that Skylor knew of another method that Chen was using to extract the powers, but one that she had never seen."

"So, what's this other - " Jay began.

"Method," finished Nuero. "I don't know. Until I read Chen's mind, I won't."

"Can you tell me -" began Kai.

"I can tell you anything," said Nuero. "You have a different subject for me; that of the Ghost."

"Ghost?!" asked Jay, disturbed.

"Yes, though I am convinced she is just a sad elemental," said Nuero. "They say that about eight years ago, a child was kidnapped for the tournaments. But she escaped Chen's clutches, and now lives in the tunnels below this place. She often is blamed for the missing equipment and food that disappears from fighters quarters. She's never helped anyone before though," he added, looking at Kai thoughtfully. "I wonder why she helped you now. I understand that she is extremely solitary. I have never seen her. No one has."

Zane, Jay, and Kai looked at each other. "Sister?!" said Nuero in surprise. "Ha! I would have never realized that."

He stood. "It's been a pleasure, but now that I know Chen's purpose behind the tournament, I am leaving. Just imagine what he could accomplish with my powers! Farewell, ninja."

And like before, he disappeared into the crowd.

"Now what?" asked Jay. "How are we supposed to get Cole back?!"

"I think we can't," said Kai. "But the Ghost could help us. If she is able to sneak around, maybe she could let us out of our rooms or something."

"It's worth a try," said Zane. "Stay up tonight - see if she comes. And Jay, don't freak out if she comes to your room - just be friendly and tell her what we need."

"I'll be cool as a cucumber," said Jay.

Zane raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced.

()

She raced down the tunnels. The guards had nearly caught her when she had tried to go to the first floor to see the tournament - so she was going to make them pay by getting them lost in the tunnels.

She slid around a corner and ducked through a small opening that joined two tunnels. The guards passed her by. She grinned breathlessly, knowing they would wander until someone came to find them.

Voices. She could hear them, muffled by the dirt walls. She silently stalked them, following the sound. She came to the chamber that connected all of the tunnels.

There stood several people. Chen, dressed in his usual silly cape and snake headdress, and his second in command, Clouse. Clouse wasn't even paying attention - he usually sensed her presence. Next to them, holding someone down, were eight massive guards.

Dessie knew who it was without seeing his face. Cole grunted and tried to throw the guards off of his back, struggling like a caged animal. Dessie wondered how they had managed to get him down here, but then suddenly noticed the trap door above them.

"Master, the staff is ready," said Clouse in a whiney tone. He held it out the large, intricate staff to Chen, who grasped it. "Shall we begin?"

Chen laughed maniacally. "Yes, Clousey-Clouse, we shall! Take this, Earth Lover!"

Dessie rushed out of hiding, seeing what they were going to do - but it was too late. The staff was vibrating and humming loudly, and before she could even strike Chen or the guards, it was sucking Cole's powers away.

The pain was horrible, she knew. She'd seen others go through this, but her heart screamed in agony along with Cole. Eyes wide in horror, his head thrown back in pain, Cole screamed like he had never screamed before. A part of his soul was being slowly torn out - it would ripped little by little until there was none left.

Dessie knew she was helpless to save him. Angry hot tears ran down her face, and she opened her mouth and screamed too.

It ended quickly. Cole lay in the dirt, twitching and writhing in the throbbing pain that gripped him, his screams now silent. But Dessie wasn't finished. Her scream of rage and anguish echoed through the walls of the entire fortress, and everyone shivered at the sound.

Chen and Clouse whirled, and Chen pointed with a shriek. "Ghost!"

" ** _I am not a ghost!"_** Dessie thundered, eyes turning bright gold. They began to glow with a raw energy that neither Chen nor Clouse had ever contended with. They all backed away slowly; the Ghost had never spoken to them before, and her eyes had never glowed either.

"Chen," hissed Dessie, stepping closer. "You will pay for all of this! You will pay for every ounce of pain you have inflicted on us!"

Chen quaked with fear, then realized his chance. He pointed the staff at her. She glared, solid and unmoving. "I don't fear you," she snarled, and did something so fast they didn't even realized she did it until later.

A beam of light, bright and blinding, shot from her like a laser. Chen was suddenly on the ground, holding his burnt face in agony and screeching in pain like a pig. Chaos was unleashed. Clouse grabbed the staff and held it up, chanting something dark under his breath and pointing it at her. She was running, towards them, but slid to a stop, realizing she had underestimated Clouse. The staff began to vibrate, and just when she thought she was toast, Clouse fell with a surprised cry to the ground. Cole had grabbed his leg and yanked the evil man's feet out from under him.

"Run!" he barked weakly. Clouse snarled and dealt the ninja a blow to the head with the staff. Dessie cried out, seeing the blood began to trickle down his temple. "Cole - "

"RUN!" yelled Cole, struggling with Clouse, both gripping the staff.

A guard ran towards her. Dessie glared at him and in one move, slid between his legs, climbed his back, and broke his neck with a sharp twist. His knees buckled, and he fell, dead before he hit the ground. Cole and Clouse stared in shock. Clouse screamed for more guards, realizing that if she wanted to, she could kill them all. She glared at him, hearing the heavy boots on the stairs. She spat on the ground, and ran.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Reunited

"Ohhhhhhhh. Ohhhhhhhh my head - oh please somebody I am dying!" Cole's voice echoed through the empty cage like a rumbly bear growl. Try as he might, he couldn't be like Jay. Jay would have known what to say to make him feel better. He would know how to be funny and dramatic. "Oh, here I go!" cried Cole, trying to make his voice higher pitched. All it did was crack. "I see a bright light, everyone! Goodbye, life! Goodbye, Ninjago! Don't mourn for me - just make a statue in my honor!"

Again, Jay would have known what to say. Cole sighed as he laid there. His head really did hurt, and his body still felt stiff and throbbed slightly, but he missed his friends most of all. And all he really wanted right now was Dessie to come take care of him. Irritation at his circumstances filled him and he wailed, "I AM SO ALONE! THERE AREN'T EVEN ANY GUARDS TO STAND HERE AND GUARD ME!"

He tried to sit up but couldn't. Panic gripped him - if he couldn't even sit up, how could he fight or defend himself?

"What am I without my powers?" he whispered, feeling weak. He was sure that if he had had his super strength, he would have been able to do a lot more.

Scraaaaaaaaaaayp…

Cole jumped into a sitting position. "What was that?" he asked aloud. "Oh hey, I'm sitting now! Jay would say that's a positive sign!"

Click!

The vent in the ceiling opened, and Dessie suddenly fell with a cry to the floor. Cole stared in amazement as she dusted herself off and leapt back into the vent.

"Dess, stop!" he cried, getting to his feet, wobbling, and sitting down again quickly. "Dessie -"

"No, don't get up! You are hurt…" Dessie called down. Cole saw her feet dangling from the vent, and she was struggling to pull something down to him. "Just…a…second!" she said.

POP! The burden unstuck in the vent, and Dessie fell out again, this time with a large blanket and a large plastic container. She got up again, dusting off her jacket, and turned to him with a smile. "I've missed you so much," she said, going to his side and hugging his neck. He lost his balance, and they rolled into the dust, giggling. Cole wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, burying his face into her soft, tangled hair. And then they both cried like the little children that they were, remembering the better times, and grieving for what had been lost.

"I will never let go of you again," sniffled Cole, hugging her tighter.

"I'm never going to either," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"And Dad will make money with us as a freak show," Cole wailed. "And - and my friends will have to accept me and you together, and when we shower - "

"EW! Oh no no no!" said Dessie. "That is taking it way too far!"

Then they giggled like Lloyd on a sugar high, laughing until their sides hurt. They hadn't shared a joke like this in eight years, and the joy was almost overpowering.

Dessie concluded her laugh with a contented sigh, and pulled out of the hug. "I'm hungry," she said. "I brought you supper."

His eyes sparkled. "You are amazing!"

She'd brought him a steak, some island fruit, vegetables and rice, and chocolate covered shell peas. They ate together, feasting in spite of their circumstances.

"So," said Cole through a mouthful, "Did you know that we looked for you?"

She grinned. "I knew that you would," she said. "I knew that you would do everything you could."

"How did you end up on a crazy dude's island?" asked Cole, stuffing his mouth with more shell peas.

Dessie looked down. "Clouse met me after school the day I disappeared. He told me that something had happened to you, and that Dad was waiting for me at the hospital. He gave me a candy and told me that he was supposed to take me to you guys." She sighed. "I realized quickly that I should never have trusted him."

Cole raised his eyebrows. "You sweet thing," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "You were worried about me."

She nodded, laughing and wiping the chocolate off her face from Cole's kiss.

"But why did they kidnap you?" He asked. "What made you a target?"

"I have an elemental power that someone told them about," she said. "Apparently one of our teachers was part of Chen's gang, and realized somehow that I was an elemental. Chen's plan was just beginning, and they wanted to nab as many elementals as possible."

"Why? What is he planning?"

She laughed at him. "Rock head! Why did he take your powers?"

"Because he is mean and selfish?"

She threw a shell pea at his face. "No, well yes but no - to be the most powerful man in Ninjago and rule with a firm grip on our lives."

"That's awful!"

"And that's why I never let Skylor touch me. I'm not going to let Chen do that with my powers."

"That's my girl!" he said, grinning ear to ear.

She hugged him. "I've wanted to hear your voice for so long," she murmured, sneaking a shell pea out from the bowl. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said, squeezing her again. "Hey, let's escape!"

"Right now?"

"Well, we have to get my friends first, and we need to stop Chen. But yeah, pretty soon!"

"Okay!" There was a pause. Arms around each other, they began planning their daring escape. Cole talked in her ear about plans and Spinjitzu, and Dessie murmured to him about tactics and guard shifts. Dessie suddenly began to giggle.

"What?" asked Cole, a smile tugging at his face. Dessie's laugh was pretty contagious.

"Your here! And you are escaping with me!" She said, and he could hear her smile. "All my dreams are coming true!"

"You got that right!" Cole snickered. "We are busting out of here together!"

()

Zane was about to power down in his room when some guards burst in. He looked up quickly, and saw that they were carrying a large, heavy chair with a little odd man sitting in it. He deduced from the fancy headdress and purple cloak that this man must be Master Chen. He also deduced that this man had been in a horrible accident of some kind - his face was red and blistered; marred by painful burns. Zane's early assessment told him that these burns had been inflicted recently.

The guards set the chair down on the floor, and Chen climbed down.

"Ah, if it isn't the Master of Ice," he said, a crazy gleam in his eyes. "So glad you are in the tournament."

"Where is Cole?" asked Zane.

"Oh come on!" said Chen. "Why do you have to be so honorable and worry about him? He lost, didn't he? That's all that matters."

"No," said Zane. "All that matters to me is that you are a criminal mastermind who has made my best friend disappear, and you need to be more careful with who you make your enemies."

"Careful," said a voice. Clouse peeked around Chen with a sneer. "I can make things very hard for you and your friends," he said. "You saw Kai. Imagine what another beating would do to him."

"But this one is smarter, Clousey - Clouse," said Chen. "This one is the coolest toy ever!"

"I am a nindroid," said Zane. "Not a toy."

"Oh come now," said Chen, "didn't your inventor play with you?"

"Like a father does with a son," said Zane. "But my early assessment tells me that is not the type of playing you are thinking of." He stood, hands made into fists. "And as for my friends," he added, "just remember that I am a nindroid, and they are the only people I have in this world. Should you hurt them or drive them to their deaths - " here he paused and looked at Clouse pointedly - "I will not let the matter rest until you share the same fate."

There was a chilly silence in the room. Chen felt a shiver run down his spine, and he giggled impudently. "Oh Clouse, he is so amazing!" he cried. "I have to have him!"

"Patience, Master," said Clouse, eyeing Zane. "We would have to subdue him somehow, and then maybe the things you love about him would be gone."

"Aw," said Chen, slumping back into his chair. "Fix it Clouse! I want to be able to play with him by the end of the tournament."

"As you wish," said Clouse.

The guards picked up the chair and the small procession left Zane's room. Zane stood there, unsure of what had just happened. Perhaps it would be wise to watch everyone very closely, and be ready for whatever that night was going to bring.

()

Dessie crawled through the vent, going over the speech in her head. _Hello. I am Dessie, Cole's sister. He wants you, his fellow ninja, to know he is okay. This is the plan he has devised, so listen carefully…_

That was the hard part; the intro. Dessie was fine talking to Cole, but it would be hard to meet new people. Especially people who might be afraid of her.

She sighed. This was going to be awkward.

She made it to the red ninja's room first. She felt like she knew him a little better, and felt more comfortable in his room.

"Arrrg! I can't let her touch me! How can I go out with someone who I can't touch?!"

Foom! Foom!

Dessie gasped. Was he fighting someone? Maybe he needed help!

She crawled quickly to the slats in the vent and looked into the room.

The red ninja was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He held his fists up in the air, and they were wreathed in flames. "She's an evil hottie," he snarled to himself. "I can't go out with her. Next time she comes up to me, I need to say something rude." He sighed. "If I can stop admiring her."

Dessie cocked her head. Maybe this wasn't a good time. He seemed to be…counseling himself. She wondered who he was talking about.

 _Well, I will have to talk to him at some point anyway - might as well get this over with._

Delicately, Dessie tapped the vent. The ninja's head jerked and he looked straight at the it. Holding her breath, Dessie unfastened the latch and gracefully slid into the room.

Silence held the room as both of them held their breath. Dessie stood before him, self-conscious in the openness of the room. She hesitated, realizing that she had completely forgotten what to say. He was looking at her with large, warm brown eyes, and she almost giggled at his hair. But he might not have liked that.

What Kai saw was something he would remember for the rest of his life. He had made the wonderful mistake of looking straight into Dessie's eyes. They were like a bubbling brook, laughing and playing next to the mysterious forests and bright green hills. Then they were like tall and silent mountains, still and timeless. And they didn't seem to end. He felt as if he could be lost in them forever. They were as bottomless as the ocean, and as perfect as two stars.

He couldn't stop staring. She held him in her curious gaze, innocent and sincere. He suddenly realized that Skylor Chen could never look at him this way. She could never be what Dessie was.

And this gentle face couldn't sneer like Skylor had. Dessie blinked, and Kai adored her long, soft eyelashes. She opened her mouth to speak, and he delighted in the gentle slope of her lips. She stammered, but he barely noticed; her soft, low voice sounded like a comforting lullaby.

"Uh…H-how are you doing?"

Kai forgot how to breathe. "I…I'm better," he said, a silly smile on his face. "Thanks to you."

"Cole says that he's okay. I mean, he told me to tell you…uh…" she trailed off, unsure.

Kai's shoulders relaxed, a huge burden knocked from himself by this knowledge. Dessie told him the rest of the plan haltingly; she was still not used to talking in full sentences.

Dessie couldn't remember a time when she felt so odd. Her cheeks began to turn pink as she stumbled clumsily through her words. Finally, the last of the plan tumbled out, and she gave a little sigh. _I sound like an idiot!_ She thought, her cheeks burning. _He must think I'm the dumbest girl in Ninjago!_

She looked at his face. Her eyes had been on her feet, and she hadn't seen the tender look on his face until now.

She blinked in surprise. Maybe he was attracted to idiots.

"Can you…uh…repeat that?" he asked softly, still not released from her enchanting eyes. "The whole thing. From the beginning."

She raised her eyebrows. This might take a while.

()

Cole waited anxiously, pacing with what strength he had left. His foot falls echoed in the empty prison.

Click!

"Finally!" he exclaimed. Dessie gracefully dropped into the room, grinning at him. "What, were you worried?"

"It just took so long!" he said, hugging her. "Did they ask you to stay for supper or something?"

"The blue ninja - Jay, right? Well, he kinda freaked out when I went into his room. It took a while for him to believe I wasn't a ghost. And then the white one wanted - uh, I mean Zane - wanted to…um…scan? Yeah, scan me to make sure I am healthy."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"And what about Kai?"

"He's better now."

"What?"

"He's healthy."

"No, I mean how did it go with Kai?"

"Oh," she said, blushing. Cole raised his eyebrows. "Dess, tell me - how did it go?"

"Don't freak out," she chided. "He just…well, I think he really liked me. He couldn't take his eyes off of me, and he was awfully quiet. Almost like he was…bewitched."

Cole grinned. "He likes you? Like, LIKES you?"

She pushed him playfully and blushed deeper. "Stop it, mop head!"

"Do you like him back?" Cole paused. "And mop head?! You stop, you little chick pea!"

"I don't know - I barely know him. And seriously, YOU stop, you scruffy looking panda!"

"Panda? That's the best you could do?"

"I'm blushing! I can't think when I am blushing!"

"Well then stop blushing!"

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I JUST CAN'T!" she shouted, and they had a fit of giggles. When they had finished with long sighs, Cole looked at the ceiling in thought.

 _Mr. and Mrs. Tefuto? Maybe. It's very early…Kai could totally botch it yet._

"Oh!" said Dessie, suddenly sitting up. "There is another prisoner here on the island. It's a girl who flew in on a giant robot, and she was such an amazing warrior that Clouse captured her to fight against the Master of Poison tomorrow."

"Where did you hear that?" asked Cole, sitting up. The description sounded like Nya.

"Everybody is talking about it," she said. "They say that the girl is trying to find her boyfriend and her brother on the island, and that she is a strange warrior with a style all her own."

"I know her. Her name is Nya. Her boyfriend is Jay, and her brother is Kai."

Dessie looked up, matching the names to faces in her mind. "Ok. I gotcha."

"We need to escape with her too," said Cole.

"I have an idea," said Dessie. "And this will help our goal of escaping."

She talked quietly, telling him the plan in detail. Cole raised his eyebrows.

"You can WHAT?"

"Poof."

"What does that mean?"

"If I stand in a patch of light, I can poof to another patch of light. I'll show you sometime."

"Cool!"

"Yeah," she said, laying down. "I never thought I could do that before. I discovered it when I got scared. I could run without running, and hide without trying."

"Why are you laying down?"

"It's time for bed. Don't tell me ninja don't lay down when they sleep."

"We usually sleep in beds."

"Yeah, well…lets just say that's for the royalty around here. Dessie doesn't get a bed."

"Tonight she does," said Cole, and he plopped down next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his chest. She snuggled into the groove of his shoulder and neck, and he tucked the blanket around them.

"I have missed you so much," he murmured into her ears. She smiled and played with the locks of hair by his ear.

"I missed you too," she said softly, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Both of them slept soundly, feeling the comfort of being together at last.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Haunting

When they opened the gate, Nya was shoved forward. She glared at everyone and everything with a murderous scowl, and felt like a caged animal. She'd never been so angry in her entire life, even when as children Kai had stolen her doll. Now she was just trying to find him and the others, but had stumbled upon the island and the evil things going on.

And now she was in a tournament.

"Welcome to the Gladiator Ring!" said a sneering voice over the loudspeaker. "We have a special treat - a guest fighter!"

The crowd cheered, and Nya spat on the ground in fury. " _I never wanted to be part of this!"_ She screamed, but no one cared.

Across the sandy arena, a door opened, and a girl wearing all bright green walked over to her.

"Ahhhh," said the voice, "and here we have our returning champion - Toxa, Master of Poison!"

The crowd roared with applause, and the girl grinned. Nya was handed a spear, and the doors were shut and locked.

 _Ok. Ok, you can do this Nya,_ she thought to herself.

"This is gonna hurt," sniggered Toxa.

DING!

"Fight!" screamed the voice on the loudspeaker.

Nya lunged, but stopped short. Everyone stared in shock at Toxa, who was laying on the ground. She staggered to her feet, rubbing her jaw. "Wha…what kind a move was that?" she demanded Nya. "What are you - Master of Speed or something?"

"I don't have any powers," said Nya. Toxa shrugged and lunged at her.

Thud! She fell to the ground again, this time out cold. Everyone stood to their feet, hushed. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!" screamed the voice on the PA system, and everyone looked at Nya.

Nya stared at Toxa too, but the jumped violently when she saw someone else standing next to her. A girl about her age was standing there, looking at her. "Hi!" she said. "You are Nya, Kai's sister, right?"

Nya nodded, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Well he's okay," she said. "And I am going to help you get out of here. Oh," she added, "My name is Dessie."

"Uh…nice to meet you," said Nya, still in shock.

"Watch this!" said Dessie, grinning. She vanished right before Nya's eyes. Suddenly the PA system was on, and everyone heard someone punch Clouse. Then there was a long silence. Everyone waited. What was happening?

"Leave," something whispered. "Leeeeeeave. LEEEEEEEEAVE and NEVER COME BACK! This place is now possessed by - " there was a small pause, and then the voice said darkly, "-the _Ghost_."

Suddenly all of the stadium lights turned off. "I SAID LEEEEEEEEEAAAAVVVEEE!" screamed the voice, shrill and terrible. "Leave now or REST IN PEACE!"

There were screams as people fled. Elementals and crooks, all rushing and tumbling over one another as they scrambled to safety, far away from Chen's fortress.

Dessie appeared next to Nya again. She was grinning like a child on Christmas Day. "Great huh? Come on let's go!"

She stomped on the ground, and a trap door opened under her feet. She gave a whoop and said, "Follow me!"

Nya stared in surprise as Dessie leapt inside and disappeared. She took a deep breath and followed her into the darkness.

()

"Sister?! Cole, you've had a sister this whole time and you never ever told us?!"

Cole winced as Nya ranted. "I - " he began, but Nya wasn't done.

"Why wouldn't you tell us you were looking for your sister?!" she cried. "We would have helped you!"

"I - "

"Have you told the guys?!" She suddenly stopped, looking at him with a new fury in her dark brown eyes. "How long have they known?"

"Nya, let me talk!" Cole finally exploded. "First of all, they've only known for about a day. Second, when I met all of you, I had just lost her. The grief was fresh, and I didn't even know how to start that conversation. I was only two years into life without Dessie, and having new friends is hard at first. I know, I should have told you guys sometime, and I think I would have eventually, but we've been busy training Lloyd, battling Garmadon, and then losing Sensei." Nya's eyes flicked down. Cole looked down too, and Dessie suddenly noticed that this "Sensei" person must have been very close to them.

"No more secrets," murmured Nya. "They only drive us apart."

"Agreed," said Cole. "Our team can't handle secrets."

Nya sat down. "We've been so worried about you guys," She said. "I texted and texted Kai, but he never responded."

"His phone is dead," said Cole. "I don't think he's heard of a charger."

Nya grinned. "No kidding. Anyway, even Jay never responded, and I realized something was wrong. I grabbed Zane's falcon and my mech, and went to the only place in Ninjago without cell signal."

"Cell signal?" asked Dessie, confused.

"Um, yeah," said Cole. "There are a lot of things that have changed back home. But you'll see it, and probably like it."

"In the meantime," said Nya, "let's get started on escaping. Boy, it's a good thing that I came - who would have given Dessie her make-over?"

"Me," said Cole with a snort. "Boys can do makeup too. Watch!"

Nya stared in utter shock as Cole masterfully turned Dessie from sweet and unassuming to dead and frightening.

Dessie grinned. "How do I look?"

Nya's mouth was hanging open in disbelief. "How did you…where did you you learn…what…?!"

Cole grinned. "A master never reveals his secrets!" he said. Then he laughed. "My dad was big on the 'perfect costume'. Me and Dessie had to learn how to transform with makeup."

"Well, lets get started!" said Dessie. "We should spook the guards first."

"Yup!" said Cole. "Go get 'em!"

()

The jungle on Chen's island was dense and dangerous, with large animals and deadly traps. Although it was colorful and exotic, it was spooky and treacherous at night. Zane, Jay, and Kai understood this, and made their way stealthily through.

Everything was coming together. Dessie was going to spook the guards all night long, and they would be very tired and weary when dawn came. She had also told them about how without food, Chen was hasty. So the ninja were on their way to stop the delivery trucks before they came to Chen's fortress. Dessie had delivered a shovel and rope to each of them, and they had escaped without alerting anyone. Now they were just trying to make it through the jungle in one piece.

Jay dodged a swinging branch. "KAI! We are trying to get through the jungle together - stop nearly killing me!"

"Sorry," said Kai with a shrug. "I was…uh, thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing."

"Liar," Jay muttered. Kai didn't hear him.

"We are close," said Zane, swatting a mosquito on Jay's back. "The delivery trucks pass by this way; Jay, did you bring the shovels that Dessie gave to us?"

"Yes," said Jay proudly. "I - "

SNAP!

Jay was seized by a nearby carnivorous plant. It had him by the pants quicker than lightning, and Jay gave a bone-chilling scream of terror as it opened its mouth to eat him. He swung the shovel and began smashing it. All of this happened so quickly that Kai and Zane only had enough time to gasp and then cover their faces as plant guts squirted everywhere. Jay rolled out of the dead plant's grasp, gasping with adrenaline, and covered in green slime.

"Ew…" said Kai, looking at the mess.

" _WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME?!"_ roared Jay, glaring at Kai. _"NOW THE WHOLE JUNGLE CAN SEE MY UNDERWEAR!"_ He showed them the large tear in his pants from where he had been grabbed by the plant.

Kai's face puckered in a laugh, but he managed to swallow it and say, "Sorry. Don't worry about it - no one can see the color of your boxers through the slime."

"ARG!" Jay moaned, and they kept moving through the jungle.

"I can see the road," Zane whispered suddenly, and pointed to the broad, dirt road.

"Let's start the sabotage," said Kai, a grin on his face. Jay made a face at him, and they began to dig a massive hole.

() _Three hours later_ ()

"Promise this will stop the trucks?" panted Jay. "'Cause this insane."

"You mean this is an insanely big hole?" asked Kai, leaning on his shovel for a minute. "Yeah. I think that this hole would stop the Bounty."

"That is incorrect," said Zane. "Nothing could block the road so much as to stop the Bounty, because it can fly."

"Zane - JOKE," said Kai, stabbing the ground with his shovel.

"Ah. I see," was all Zane said.

"Are we done yet?! And Kai, you are doing way less than me!" demanded Jay. He was sweating and sticky from the slimy remains of the evil plant, and had come to the conclusion that he was never meant to live in a jungle.

"Yeah Zane," said Kai, heaving as he moved more dirt. "Is it big enough? And Jay, I am still sore!"

"This hole is approximately three feet and seven inches deep, with a span of five feet," said Zane. He paused. "Yes, I believe that this is an adequate hole. I see no scenario where Chen's provisions could enter his property."

"Speak of the devils - here come the trucks!" gasped Jay, seeing headlights in the distance. "Take cover!"

The three ninja rushed into the underbrush just as large headlights illuminated the spot they had been standing in. Two large delivery trucks came to a halt as the drivers spotted the giant hole in the road.

One driver got out.

"What the? What happened here?"

"What are we supposed to do, Chuck?" called the other driver. He had rolled his window down and was waiting for Chuck's answer.

"Well, I dunno," said the one named Chuck. "See, if we don't deliver this tonight, Chen won't be able to have supper for him or his guests. This was an important shipment!"

"But there is no way we can cross that gap," said the other. "Hey, don't we have the helicopter from the docks?"

"It's in the shop," said Chuck, scratching his head. "I guess we'll have to get back and report this. I don't wanna leave the people at Chen's hungry, but we simply can't go on. Aw well."

And with that, they turned the trucks and left the way they came.

After the trucks rumbled away, Jay moaned. "It's almost dawn, guys. And I sat in poison oak!"

"Zane, take us back," said Kai, grinning. "We have to tell Cole that the hole worked, but we'll have to move fast." He quickly looked at Jay, who itched himself in misery. "Jay, stop it! You'll only make it worse!"

"This is all your - " began Jay, but tripped on a vine and face-planted into the ground.

"Careful," said Zane, and lead the way.

()

As the sun rose on the horizon, Kai, Zane, and Jay made their way to the secret entrance that Dessie had instructed them to go to. It was on the far east-wing, and they would have missed it if Nya hadn't opened it and called them softly.

Kai hugged his sister tightly. "I'm so glad you are okay," he said.

"Ditto, hot-stuff!" she chuckled into his shoulder. "Are you still sore?"

"Just a little," he said. "Nothin' I can't handle."

Jay sighed next to them. "I would hug you too, Nya," he said mournfully, "But I have plant guts and poison oak all over me, and I love you too much to get it on you."

"How noble of you," she said, and kissed his nose.

Sneaking into the tunnels wasn't easy, but Nya seemed to know where they were going. The three ninja had never been below the surface level of the fortress, and Nya told them that this was where Dessie had lived for the past eight years. Before they could really grasp that, however, they came to Cole's prison.

Cole and Dessie were sitting inside, giggling and talking together. Zane smiled. Sitting next to each other, they looked more like they were siblings than they had before. He felt a sense of peace knowing that a part of Cole had healed with Dessie's return.

Kai looked at Dessie. Her smile was like purest sunshine in this dark and musty place, and her laugh rang in his ears like music. She giggled at something Cole said, then looked up at their arrival, her smile soft and warm. Kai's eyebrows went up as he noticed a large scratch on her cheek.

"Oh, Dessie!" he breathed, walking quickly towards them. Cole stopped talking and looked up in surprise. "Oh, hi Kai," he said. Kai gave him a curt nod, still focused on Dessie.

"Dessie, what happened? Where did you get that scratch?"

She blushed. "I uh, well see…uh," she stammered, then giggled nervously. "I got it when we were spooking the guards."

"We were in the air ducts," said Nya at Kai's elbow. Dessie was relieved when Nya took over the storytelling - those big, warm brown eyes of Kai Tefuto had her nearly speechless. "And we saw Chen and Clouse with the staff."

"Wait - the staff with all the powers that have been taken so far?" asked Jay.

"Yes," said Nya. "So we tried to steal it back."

"But some guards saw us, and realized that we were in the vents," said Dessie softly. "They tried to stick us with their spears." She touched the scratch gingerly. "It could have been much worse."

Everyone shuddered. "So, Chen still has all the power?" Asked Jay.

"N…no," said Cole, "Cuz' we are gonna bust outta here!"

There was a pause.

"How?" asked Jay.

"Well, obviously," said Cole, "Kai is going to melt my cell lock so I can get out. Then - "

"Oh I remember now!" interrupted Jay. "Then we frighten everyone and take out Chen and Clouse, right?"

"That's the uncool version, but yeah," said Cole, standing up. "Dessie, get out of the cell; Kai is going to work on the lock."

Dessie vanished and reappeared next to Zane. "Ta-da!"

"Cool," said Jay, legitimately impressed. "Could you get the slime off my clothes like that?"

"Don't bother," said Nya. "We'll get you new clothes. These ones are pretty much ruined."

"Alright guys," said Kai, annoyed. "You have to be quiet or I can't focus."

"You just want to show off to -" Jay began, but was elbowed by Nya to hush. Dessie looked at them, confused, then turned to watch Kai.

Kai took the lock to the cell in his hands, cradling it. He stared at it, breathing deeply. Then suddenly, without warning, his hands were wreathed in flames. Golden tongues of fire licked his hands and danced over the lock. Dessie's eyes grew wide with wonder as the flames burned hotter and hotter, until they were white hot. But still, the lock held. She looked quickly at Kai, curious as to wether he was surprised. He didn't look away from the chunk of metal, but just furrowed his eyebrows in determination.

Suddenly the flames weren't that interesting. Dessie was staring at his warm, brown eyes. His crazy, lovable hair. His soft, chiseled face.

 _What is this feeling?_ She wondered. _Why do I feel so warm and odd around him? Why is he so…_ special _to me?_ She watched as the flames grew brighter and hotter. _Why am I being like this? Why am I acting so weird?_ A sudden, sneaking suspicion caught her off guard.

 _Am I…am I falling in…LOVE? But I hardly know him! How can I feel so…like this?!_

Dessie looked at Cole quickly. He was beaming at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. She started a little, then blushed deeply. Great - her big brother knew her too well. This was something she couldn't hide.

She would have to face these feelings.

 _What would Mom say to do?_

Thinking hard, she suddenly remembered something Mom had said years ago.

 _"Dessie, don't ever rush love. Every kind of love needs time to grow. If it is rushed, it is bitter-sweet and only lasts for a moment. Don't rush love - let it come like spring after a long winter; gently, and slowly. Let it seep into your life until you wake up one day and realize you have forgotten what life was like before it."_

The lock on Cole's cell was dripping now. Kai's face was illuminated by the deep blue flames, and Dessie felt a warm feeling in her heart as she decided to follow her mother's advice.

 _I will be cautious. If this is truly love, then I will go slowly. It will be sweeter than springtime, and last longer than life. But if it is never meant to be, then we will find out before we get hurt._

Cole studied Dessie. She had that determined look on her face, like she had made up her mind about something. He turned and eyed Kai, who grinned in triumph as the lock snapped into two pieces in his hands. Everyone grinned and cheered, and Dessie said softly, "That was awesome, Kai." Kai looked at her and blushed.

Both Nya and Cole saw the tender look that passed between them. Cole's grin grew, and he knew that he liked the match.

But it was still early. He decided that he would slow them down if things started going too fast.

 _She won't get hurt,_ he resolved. _And we won't lose him._

()

Skylor sat across from her father. They were in Clouse's room, listening to Clouse's report about how bad things really were for them.

Chen sighed and gingerly touched his burnt face. "So, what you are telling me is that all my guards have run away, all the elementals have run away, and we are the last ones here?"

"Master," said Clouse slowly, "We are the last targets, it would seem."

"Happy?" snapped Skylor. "I told you! Never put the ninja in rooms with windows!"

"But how would I know that the Ghost would help them?" demanded Chen angrily. "She hadn't shown her face for years!"

"And yet you knew she was still here," snarled Skylor. Her green eyes flashed in rage. "You never listen to me! But no matter - you have to listen to me now."

"Why is that?"

"Because I am the only one who can save you," she smirked. "I have Form's element now. I can change shape; become one of them. I'll get rid of each of them, and you will have to admit that I should have been in charge of this."

"Then go try it," chuckled Clouse. "We'll see how far you get with them. And if you fail," he added, "then we will never let you forget it."

"I will be waiting for them," she said, standing. "Make yourselves scarce, and keep your secret weapon out of reach."

"Sklyor," said Chen quickly. "What are you going to do?"

She rolled her eyes. "I am going to trick them. Then, I am going to kill them."

"Go get them then," said Chen with a grin. "You have my blessing."

She snorted. "Like that ever stopped me before."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Tagged and Bagged

That day and the next night were silent. Chen, Clouse, and Skylor waited for the ninja to make their move, but nothing happened.

"Have they run away?" asked Chen, disappointed. He had really wanted to keep Zane.

"No," sneered Skylor. "They are still here. I can feel it."

"And what if you are wrong?" demanded Clouse. "If the ninja have left, then we need to regroup and wage war on them."

"You and what army?!" laughed Skylor. "You two have no more friends left."

"And you do?" asked Chen, curious.

Skylor just smiled.

"Skylor," said Chen. "What friends do you have?"

"I have some in Ninjago city," she said. "They have been very…helpful friends."

"I've never met them," said Clouse, glaring. He'd never liked Skylor - she was always convincing Chen to bring in younger fighters, and he personally hated the way she surpassed him in almost every way.

"You never go anywhere fun," she snorted back.

"I'm bored!" complained Chen. "Clousey-Clouse, get my staff! We will get out of her way." He poked her arm. "I want those ninja! Leave the white one intact!"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever."

()

The ninja had been hiding, waiting for night to fall again. The delivery trucks would be arriving today, and the ninja needed to make their move. Dessie had told them to wait as long as possible - Chen would lose patience, and hastiness on his part would work in their favor.

Now the sun was setting, and they were all taking their places. Nya and Jay snuck off to the warehouse full of trophies that Chen had hidden away. Nya's mech was there, and it could be used to call Lloyd for help. They would need a ride off of this island!

Cole, Zane, Kai, and Dessie would take down Chen. Dessie brought out some nets that she had stowed away, and handed them to the guys. Zane and Kai gasped and dropped them right away.

"What is this!?" demanded Kai.

"My powers," murmured Zane. "They…they were canceled out by the net!"

"What?" asked Cole. "They feel fine to me."

"But you don't have your power's right now," explained Dessie. "These are Deepstone Nets. They are made with a super powerful mineral that cancels out elemental powers. They are our only weapon against Skylor. If she touches the net, then we can touch her without a problem. But if you tried to fight her with all her powers - the amber power she has and the others that she stole - then she'd just steal yours and…uh, no offense, but she would probably win."

"None taken," said Zane. "This is a brilliant plan."

"Yeah, I feel really confident about it," said Dessie. "I couldn't have ever done it myself though. I'm glad you all are here to help."

Cole grinned. "Let's get going," he said, and they stepped into the open.

After scouting, they found that Chen's fortress was almost completely abandoned. As they slipped in and out of rooms, they began to wonder if maybe Chen, Clouse, and Skylor had escaped.

"Skylor's chambers are at the top of these stairs," said Dessie. "And Clouse's are at the other end of the fortress. We should split up - this place is huge, and if they are trying to escape - "

"Then we need to hurry," finished Zane. "Kai, capture Skylor. Cole, Dessie and I will find Chen and Clouse."

"Aw, I have to go alone?" protested Kai.

"Well, I want Dessie with me," said Cole, "and I need one more ninja with me too. I am powerless, after all. You still have your fire."

"Oh fine," said Kai. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Sorry," said Dessie, and the three of them ran down the hallway, away from the stairs and Kai.

Kai crept up the stairs, net in his hands, listening. The only sound was the sound of his heart pounding in his ears, and his soft foot falls on the stairs. He made his way quietly to the room with a pink door - surely this was Skylor's. As he reached out a hand to open the door, a sudden noise stopped him.

 _Thud. Thud thud._

He turned. It was…coming from above him. He stared - it was coming from the vents above him. He backed away as the little vent door opened, and someone slid clumsily out.

Kai started. "Y…you!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?"

()

"Ahhhhh!' screamed Clouse as Zane rolled into the room. "Master, run! It's the ninja!"

Chen had been sitting on the sofa, enjoying a cold lemonade and soft opera music when his enemies arrived. The Master of Ice had just frozen the door and broken it down.

"Take that, Chilly-Willy!" he barked, pointing the staff at Zane. It began to hum loudly, and Chen grinned maliciously when Zane looked up, surprised. "You are alone, Whitey-Tighty!" he laughed.

"Master, look out!" cried Clouse. Chen whirled, but that was the worst thing he could have done. He realized later that the Ghost must have been standing there, because he whirled around and was instantly and permanently blinded by a bright, hot light that seemed to come out of no where.

He couldn't see. He was screaming for Clouse to help him when suddenly he felt the staff wrenched from his hands, and heard it snap as it was broken.

"You…you broke it!" he screamed, feeling the color drain from his face.

"And we won," snarled a voice by his ear. Chen shrieked in terror as he was suddenly unable to move - something had strapped his arms to his sides!

"I don't think he has any powers," said a girl's voice. Chen realized that it was the Ghost.

"But it's way easier to carry him if he can't claw my eyes out," said the Master of Earth.

"Skylor!" cried Chen. "Skylor, help me!"

"Hey," said Cole. "Where _is_ Skylor? Tell us, or else I will - "

Chen promptly fainted.

"Wow," said Cole, looking at the two unconscious masterminds. "They both fainted?"

"I barely touched Clouse," said Zane. "I suppose that our enemies were just cowards with too much power."

"How philosophical," said Cole dryly. "But where is Skylor?"

"I don't know," said Zane. "But I am worried about why Kai hasn't shown up with her yet. Shouldn't he have been finished with her capture?"

"Oh dear," said Dessie, and ran from the room.

"Dessie!" cried Cole. "Be careful!"

"I will!" her voice echoed down to him.

"Hurry," said Cole to Zane as they lifted the two unconscious men. "I wouldn't want to miss Kai getting saved by my little sister."

()

Kai stared. How was Dessie here? Hadn't she just run off with Cole and Zane?

But here she was, looking at him with a funny look. "Aren't we going to go get Skylor?"

"Well…yeah," said Kai slowly. "But…but you were supposed to go with Cole."

"I changed my mind and snuck away. I bet he didn't notice," said Dessie with a shrug, turning to the pink door. "I think Skylor is in here."

"I bet he _did_ notice," protested Kai. "He's your brother, after all."

She paused, then opened the door and went inside the room. Kai followed her, wondering why he felt so…suspicious.

The room was full of crimson drapes and furniture. Kai had thought his prison had been extravagant; now it looked cheap in comparison.

Dessie snooped around the room, and Kai watched her, feeling a shiver down his spine. Something was wrong here. Very wrong. But he couldn't place it; there was something about this that seemed…off, some how.

Dessie sighed and walked up to him. "There's nothing. She's not here. What should we do?"

He saw it. As she looked at him, he saw what was wrong with this. His breath caught in his lungs in surprise as he stared at her masked, brown eyes. _Where did the forests and mountains go…?_ And her cheek - no scratch lay there. Surely it hadn't already healed!

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

He backed away. That tone - it was so _hard._

She stepped closer. "Kai, are you feeling ok?"

 _She didn't say it like before. She always says my name so softly._

"I…I don't know how," he said, holding the net in front of him like a shield, "but you aren't Dessie!"

"Ok, the Master of Ice needs to look at you," she said with a short laugh. "You are spouting nonsense. Why am I not Dessie?"

That proved it.

 _"_ You say your name like you just heard it for the first time," he said. "And we never call ourselves by our titles - and Dessie told us she likes our names the best."

"I am Dessie!" yelled the girl.

"No you aren't!" shouted Kai, convinced. "And you can't ever be! You're a fake - a knock off! Dessie doesn't have brown eyes - she has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen! And she has a scratch on her cheek!"

The girl's eyes were wide, and Kai advanced slowly, working her into a corner. He was getting heated, and the sparks in his eyes must have silenced her as he continued. His growing adoration of Dessie was fueling his rant.

"You can't replicate perfection!" he yelled. "Her hair isn't straight - it's wavy and wild, like long grass in the breeze! It's perfect in every way, and - " he stopped abruptly. The girl was glaring fiercely at him.

"You thought you could just shout me to death?" she snarled in a low voice. Dessie melted away, and Skylor stood in her place. "Listen to me, ninja," she purred. "I know that you were meant for more than this - " she gestured to everything. "Let me tell you about something," she murmured, reaching out to him, "something _better._ "

He dodged and slid away from her. "No," he said. "I don't wanna hear it."

"You thought Dessie was perfect," she said, walking towards him. "Just wait until you get to know me! I'll give you everything you want. We can leave everything here, and make a new life for ourselves. I have powerful friends," she added. He slid out of her reach again, and she kept circling him. "We could have everything we every wanted. Together."

He was just out of her reach; and he kept it that way. "Why won't you listen?" she cried, stopping to let her fake tears well up. "I just want to give you a nice life! I want to save you from all this heartbreak!"

"What heartbreak?" he demanded. "And I want nothing to do with you!"

She stared, as if heartbroken herself. "You…you don't mean that," she whimpered, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "You…you don't!"

"Take it how you want," he said. "Dessie is the only girl in this world I could ever hope to love."

Skylor began her act. She knew she had to snag him somehow. Maybe acting would be the only way to get him.

Her shoulders shook as she slowly sat down, and began her sobbing. Head in her hands, she began to wail, looking very lost and broken. "Why?!" she wailed. "Why must you love the destruction in your life? Why her?! She will destroy you!"

He sighed. "What on earth do you mean by that?"

He wasn't buying it. Add some truth.

"She's so powerful," she hiccuped. "She…she was always more powerful than me. She hasn't even unlocked her power's true potential. But she's never been able to control it. Light can be lovely," she added darkly, "but deadly."

"Cry all you want," said Kai. "But I made my decision when you threw Cole down a chute and took away his powers. And when I was hurt in my room I needed help, you weren't the one who helped me. Someone with a lovely heart came and tended my wounds that your team gave me. Admit it, Skylor - you've lost."

She'd lost him.

Jumping to her feet, she roared and lunged at him, rage boiling in her veins. She'd never lost before. She'd take him down with her if this was how it was going to go.

But the net was over her head. She gasped in horror - her powers! What had just happened?!

Kai tied the net over her, face grim. She began to scream, trying to flail and scream her way out. She whipped her body and tried to hit him. He dodged, and then sighed. "Guess you aren't going quietly, huh?"

Suddenly they heard footsteps on the stairs. "Kai!" came a voice. "Kai are you okay?!"

Kai grinned. "See?" he said to Skylor. "Even when she shouts my name, it sounds nice. I'm in here!" he called.

Dessie ran in, breathless. "You caught her!" she said, smiling. "We were worried."

Insert blush.

"Um, yeah," said Kai. "It took a little bit; she showed up looking like you, and so it threw me a little."

"Can't wait to hear about it," she said, "but we'll have to talk later. Your friend is coming with the…uh…Bounty? Yeah! The Bounty! So we need to go."

"I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!" screamed Skylor. Dessie jumped a little, and scooted closer to Kai. "I WILL COME AFTER YOU AND - "

"Or we could just leave you here," said Kai. "We don't owe you anything."

"N…no, we should make her suffer by putting her in the dungeons of the Bounty," said Dessie.

"It's called the brig," he said. "And yeah, we could." Skylor stared in surprise, then glared darkly. "I think that prison would be a good idea too," Kai added.

"I WILL BE AVENGED!" Skylor screamed again. Kai sighed and took a piece of the net, dragging her out of the room. "Sure, whatever."


	8. Chapter 8

**NOTE: I originally wrote this before knowing Cole's dad's name…however I liked "Howard" better than his actual name "Lou". So that is why his name is Howard. ON TO THE FANFIC!**

Chapter 8: Home

The moon rose high in the sky as they left Chen's fortress. Cole and Zane had rushed up to Kai and Dessie, disappointed that they had missed Skylor's capture. Zane threatened to freeze her head if she didn't stop screaming, and so Skylor clamped her mouth shut and just scowled at everyone as she, Clouse, and Chen were loaded onto the Bounty.

Dessie saw Lloyd, standing by the on ramp to the Bounty, talking to Nya and Jay. That shy feeling came over her again. Biting her lip, she slowly edged to the back of the little procession of ninja, hiding behind Zane.

"Lloyd!" cried Cole. Lloyd turned to them, grinning. They fist-bumped, and began excitedly talking about their adventure. Kai and Jay both would give input, and soon the whole tale was spilling forth like a waterfall. Lloyd stared in wonder as they described how they had been kidnapped, and how Cole had lost to Skylor because she cheated. Kai showed Lloyd his bruises from Clouse, and told everyone about how Skylor had tried weasel her way out of captivity.

"The best part is," said Cole, grinning, "is that I found - " he looked around suddenly. "Hey, where _is_ Dessie?"

They all turned and saw her standing there. Cole's face broke into a smile, and he said, "Dessie, don't be shy! Come meet Lloyd."

Her feet seemed nailed to the ground. "I…" she began, but all she could do was blush. _Why am I so scared?!_ she asked herself. _He's probably a super nice guy! Way nicer than Chen! Why was I brave enough to fight, but now I am afraid to meet someone?!_

"Um, I know what's wrong," said Kai. He walked over to Dessie with a grin and took her hand in his own. _Oh my gosh he's holding my hand!_ She thought, surprised at how different his touch felt from Cole's. She felt like her hand grew warmer, and his eyes sparkled as he grinned at her. _He must have felt this funny feeling too,_ she thought. His soft, calloused hand was gentle as he lead her towards their group.

"Lloyd," said Kai, "This is Dessie, Cole's - "

"MY sister," said Cole, giving Kai a scandalous look and protectively pulling Dessie away from the surprised red ninja. He wrapped his arms around Dessie, not taking his mock-serious eyes off of Kai. She giggled as she almost disappeared under his arms. Kai held up his hands in surrender, then said, "Look, she just needed an introduction. Remember, she's rusty on socializing."

"Wow! You have a sister?!" asked Lloyd, surprised. "And you never told me?!"

"Here we go again," said Jay.

"Kai, you gave her more than an introduction," Cole protested, then grinned. "If you are going to do anything like that again, I'll tell my dad. Ha, you think _I_ am protective - ?"

"Whoa now," said Kai, taking a step back. "Let's not do anything crazy here."

"Lets go home," said Nya. "You girls can argue when we get back to Ninjago."

"Um, guys?" asked Lloyd. "A SISTER?!"

()

Dessie had never been on a flying ship. It had scared her to death at first - the creak of the wood as it began to lift off the ground, and seeing the ground disappear as they pointed the dragon head to the sea. Cole was nearly knocked over when she ran straight to him, holding on to him for dear life.

"It's ok, it's ok," he soothed, holding her trembling self close to him. He could feel her heart fluttering in her chest, and when they hit some turbulence, she yelped and jumped into his arms, legs and arms wrapped around him like she was climbing a tree. He sighed. He didn't know how to help her.

"Listen, Dessie," he said. She gripped him tighter, heart racing. "Dessie, do you trust me?"

"I'm scared," she whispered in his ear. "I want to see the ground again."

"But Dessie," said Cole. "Have you realized that you are flying? Like a bird, we are flying?"

Cole felt her pause. Her heart rate seemed to slow, and her grip relaxed just a little. "We…we are flying, aren't we?" Her voice sounded small, but more like herself.

He breathed a sigh of relief. She was starting to like the idea.

Slowly, Dessie's legs let go of him and stood with her own two feet. The wind rushed in her face and played with her hair. She exclaimed over the sun, rising on the horizon. She wouldn't let go of Cole's hand, but he was able to show her around, telling her their adventures that had become legends. She laughed and laughed when he told her about how they had danced in one of their father's competitions in order to beat the Serpentine, and then stared in wonder when he described the Final Battle.

"And then, we were kidnapped by Chen," said Cole. "And you know the rest."

"Wow," said Dessie, eyes wide. "That…that's amazing!"

"And now you'll be here for the rest of our adventures," said Cole happily. "But first things first - we have to show you Ninjago City! Dessie, there is so much to see now, and so much to do!"

"It's like a dream," said Dessie, grinning ear to ear. "But better."

"Much better," said Cole, hugging her again. "We're going home!"

"You are silly," said Dessie. "The moment we were together in your cell at Chen's, I was home."

Cole made a high pitched "awwww" sound, and hugged her.

"Guys, when you are ready," came Nya's voice on the intercom, "we are almost there."

"Time to get cracking! Come on, Dessie!" said Cole.

"Where are we going?" asked Dessie.

"Home!" said Cole, running out of the room.

"Home," breathed Dessie, her heart filling up with wonderful emotions. "Cole, wait for me!"

()

Howard Renaro was a man of routine. His schedule was written out in clear handwriting, and he never ever deviated from it.

So when the the Bounty landed in his backyard, he was at least a little surprised.

"Cole! How are you, son?" he called without looking. He grabbed his cane and went outside. "Still too good for the doorbell?"

 ** _"Daddy!"_**

She was running to him, Cole close behind. Howard stared at the young woman running towards him, almost unable to understand what was happening. He knew that face. His mouth dropped open in amazement, and nearly let go of his cane.

"D…Destiny?" he whispered. _"DESTINY?!"_

"Daddy!" she cried again, and ran straight into his arms. "Daddy, oh Daddy!"

The two of them stood there, hugging tightly. Dessie clung to her father, smelling his familiar scent on his suit, weeping onto his shoulder. Howard held his little girl in his arms tightly, burying his face into her soft brown hair and resolving to never let go. Cole walked up, grinning.

"I found a treasure, Dad," he said, wrapping his arms around both of them. "I think it's a keeper!"

"Oh Dessie," was all Howard said.

"I'm home, Daddy," said Dessie tearfully. "And I'm here to stay."

Everyone on the Bounty smiled as they watched the happy reunion. "Awww," said Jay. "Oh this is awesome. Look at them. Aren't they just so happy?"

"Yes, they are," said Nya, hugging him. "I think we have a happy ending on our hands."

"I want a shower," said Kai. "My hair is doing weird things."

"And just think," said Zane. "Dessie didn't have access to a shower for eight years."

"Actually, I asked her about that," said Nya. "She had to sneak showers. When people would be staying at Chen's, she would go to vacant rooms and shower as quickly as she could." She grinned. "One time she was nearly caught."

Jay's mouth dropped open. "Oh my," he said. "I am sincerely glad she wasn't."

"Why is that?" asked Nya.

"Well obviously," he said, "they would have taken her powers and showers away!"

"We can hear you guys," called Cole. "It sounds weird, hearing you guys talk about my sister showering!"

"And we can hear you too, dirt clod!" shouted Jay. "Kai, go take a shower."

"Why? Do I stink?"

"I thought you just…never mind."

"What?"

"Never mind!"

"What were you going to say?!" demanded Kai.

"That you need to go take a shower! Your hair was doing weird things, right?"

"You're a bad liar," said Kai darkly, going below deck to get in the shower.

Down on the lawn, Dessie giggled. "They are our new family too, right?"

"Yeah," said Cole with a sigh.

"It's good," said Dessie. "I like them."

"Oh Dessie," Howard said again. He pulled out of the hug, and kissed her on both cheeks. "You are safe at last. Oh, I need to go write a song about my feelings!"

And Dessie knew, without a doubt, that her life would be perfect, no matter what happened next.

"Hey," called Jay. "Are you guys hungry for pizza?"

 **THE END. _The next book in this series is called "City of a Shadow". Coming soon!_**

 **Thanks to everyone who followed/faved/reviewed! Love you guys!**

 **~ MagicWords22**


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